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Posted 17 February 2011 - 10:24 AM

Welcome to the first official episode blog on JeffProbst.com. I know I promised you a video blog, but here’s the truth. I got home from New York at 1:30 am. I sat down in my living room five minutes after getting home and recorded a nine minute video blog. Was it any good? I have no idea. But as I loaded it to YouTube it.. was… too…long. I’m still learning and evidently there is a size limit.

So… you get the written blog once again. I know a lot of you want this to be a written blog anyway. The truth is doing a video blog is a helluva lot easier for me. So maybe I’ll vary it and on days when I have time I’ll write it and other times I’ll videotape it… just shorter.

For the record it is now 3:30 am. That’s 630 am NY time so I’m now at 24 hours without sleeping. Bear that in mind as you read this blog! But I promised you it would be here when you woke up, so here it is.

SURVIVOR REDEMPTION ISLAND EPISODE ONE BLOGFeb. 17th, 2011

Well we are one episode in to our 22nd season and I’d say we’re off to a pretty damn good start.

Those ten words ushered in a new Survivor superstar. Phillip Shepherd.

I can already hear you guys complaining. Probst, you love Phillip. You have a hard-on for Phillip. (that was one of the quotes I read on Twitter.) I know many of you already hate Phillip. You think Phillip is crazy. Phillip is a loser. Those words fall on deaf ears. It’s as if I don’t have ears. They just bounce off and fall to the ground. I absolutely love Phillip and I’m pretty sure Jimmy Fallon does too!

But more on him later…

THE HELICOPTER OPENFirst off – flying out the back of a helicopter is a rush no matter how many times I get to do it. Here’s how we did it: I was attached by one safety strap that is hidden under my shirt and the strap is attached to one clip which is attached to the floor of the helicopter. That’s it. That’s all that stops me from falling out of the sky and to what I’m pretty certain would be instant death. But our safety guys told me that it was “almost completely safe…” so I said “Okay, strap me in!”

To get that awesome shot just after I say: “Thirty nine days, 18 people.. One Survivor” — two things have to happen at the exact same moment. The helicopter I was on has to bank to the right and the helicopter that is filming us banks to the left. If they both hit it at the right moment you get that epic moment where it looks like the chopper that I’m on is falling off the side of the earth. If the earth were indeed flat. Our chopper crew of Mark Hryma (photographer) and Ken Gray (pilot) are really, really, really good and their communication with my chopper was the reason that shot looked so freakin epic.

It’s an incredibly fun experience that I wish all of you could try just once. It’s a total rush. I wish we could use choppers or planes every time. Adds a lot of drama.

OUR NEWEST TWISTWe had pitched Redemption Island to CBS for a few years but we could never get it past them because the creative wasn’t quite right. Last year we hit upon the magic formula and CBS said yes. They took a HUGE chance letting us change the format of our show. Survivor is a format that has worked all over the world and has allowed us to garner big ratings for over a decade here in the U.S.

Networks don’t mess with things that work. But Leslie Moonves and the guys at CBS take risks. I think this one is going to pay off nicely.

I will go on the record that I think we’ll be doing it again next year. We haven’t even officially been picked up for next year nor talked about creative for next year but I just can’t see going back to the old format. Afer the first tribal council I thought, “I can’t imagine voting someone out and then having them be “gone” from the show. We’d miss out on so much. The “losers bracket” which is what RI is, just opens up so many options.

I realize it’s too early to decide if you like it but I’ll ask you again in episode 5 after you’ve had a bit of time to try it on for size.

HOURS BEFORE THE STARTI woke up on day one with a really powerful and positive feeling about the season. No idea where it came from, but I knew it was real. It was still hours before we were going to put them on the chopper and I had an idea.

I took my boombox, yes I still have a boombox, and I gathered the Survivors around me in a circle. They still couldn’t talk because the game hadn’t yet started. I then put on LOSE YOURSELF by Eminem. I blasted it from the speakers. I had the words printed on a sheet of paper. I went from one person to another singing the song.. well talking the song… well actually just basically screaming the song. I wanted them to feel the energy I felt – that we were sitting on the edge of something really special.

LOSE YOURSELF LYRICSIf you had one shot, or one opportunityTo seize everything you ever wanted in one momentWould you capture it? Or just let it slip?

You better lose yourself in the music, the momentYou own it, you better never let it go goYou only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blowThis opportunity comes once in a lifetime.

Not sure what they thought about my performance – if they thought I had lost my mind, (which was kinda true) was a lousy singer, (very true) or maybe they just didn’t care one way or the other (quite possible.) But it didn’t matter, I really thought we were onto something and I wanted to share it. In fact, the lyrics of LOSE YOURSELF influenced some of the language I ended up using at Redemption Island duels. See if you pick up on it as the season unfolds.

BOSTON ROB AND RUSSELLFrom the moment R and R exited the chopper the energy changed and it stayed that way for the entire 39 days. Having Rob and Russell ignited something in every other contestant. Like them or not, they are stars of Survivor and they bring something special to the season.

Their journey won’t be easy.

Both have huge targets. Huge. For obvious reasons. No need to waste the space we know the drill. We know their backs are up against the wall. So do they.

But give Russell 3 more days on that island and that one girl alliance could become the two girl alliance that he has used so successfully in the past and he’s off and running. Is it even plausible that he could do it a third time?

Give Boston Rob a few days to solidify an alliance and a few more challenges to prove his worth and he too could become unstoppable.

But if either of them lose many challenges in a row they are probably in trouble. Kristina is already onto Rob and the entire Zapatera tribe, save Stephanie, seems to be onto Russell.

Ah but Survivor is an ever changing game.

And even if they are voted out early… they have Redemption Island. They are guaranteed a second chance. Good luck beating Boston Rob at a duel, Francesca.

A FEW OF THE OTHERSNatalie – our youngest competitor ever at 18. Huge adventure for a girl just out of high school. Think about it. Takes nerve just to show up. I root for Natalie.

Matthew, whose religious faith is going to be severely tested if he lasts very long at all. Survivor is a game where “turn the other cheek” typically doesn’t work very well.

Kristina showed herself to be a very strong contender by finding the idol in first few hours.

Ralph, as Mike said has the best man sweater in Survivor history and will need a full-time interpreter if we are to understand him. Or subtitles. Maybe both.

In addition, we have MANY other great characters that you will come to know. Have no fear if I didn’t mention your favorite or the person from your hometown. They’ll all get their chance to shine. This really is a great season. Great.

CHALLENGESOur opening challenge is indicative of what to expect this season. Big challenges. Our challenge department had a lot of pent up energy left over from having to do smaller challenges during Survivor: Nicaragua (aka Old vs Young.) This one set the tone that you’ll be earning everything this year.

TRIBAL COUNCILThat was hands down the best first tribal council ever. It was yet another sign to me that whatever that feeling I had the morning of Day One was legit.

Poor Phillip, he really had trouble with Francesca’s name. I think he mispronounced it a few more times but we just couldn’t include them all because sooner or later we had to get to the vote.

It was funny the first three times. Really funny the next three and I nearly fell off my stump the last three. But as he mentioned, he did have dry mouth for which he was getting treatment, so we have to account for that. What wasn’t included was Phillip telling me at tribal council that he had dyslexia. I don’t think anybody believed him but honestly who knows who is telling the truth in this game. Certainly not me. I never know when someone is bullshitting or being straight up, but after he told me he had dyslexia I couldn’t laugh at the mispronunciation any more. He found my soft spot. If he was lying, it worked on me.

Have I told you how much I love Phillip. It’s his earnest nature. That’s what I responded to from the day I met him in casting. He lives this stuff. He believes it. For real. Just like another great Survivor character… Coach!

THE BEST MOMENT OF THE EPISODEThe moment of the episode had to be Rob demanding that Kristina show him the idol. HUGE MOVE. And it worked. She not only showed it to him she handed it to him. Damn, that is how you do it.

I say it all the time. To get to the end of this game – sooner or later you will have to make a big move. Rob isn’t waiting or wasting any time to make big moves. First tribal, first gigantic, intimidating move. I think Kristina was even considering giving it to him a sign of solidarity. It’s amazing what Rob can pull off. Boston charm.

Downside for Rob.. the target on his back just got a lot larger. Remember that huge red Target store logo from season one? Yes I know some of you were only three when we started… well the target on Rob’s back is that big.

NEXT WEEK TEASE – It’s a great episode. The tease: Phillip goes hunting for crab. You will laugh for sure and you may even shed a patriotic tear. It’s one of the best scenes of the season. Yes, he’s wearing his peach underwear.

OUR LIVE TWITTER EXCHANGE: For those of you who missed it. I was flying home from New York and while on the flight I tweeted live with fans who were watching the show at the same time. It was really kind of amazing. I was watching the show on the airplane at 30,000 feet and tweeting back and forth. It was quite the fun experience. I’ll see what the feedback is over the week and maybe we’ll try to do it again. I stole the idea from Howard Stern who did it recently while watching his movie Private Parts on television.

Posted 17 February 2011 - 10:40 AM

Each week, host Jeff Probst will answer a few questions about the most recent episode of Survivor: Redemption Island as well as offer up a tease for next week. (You can also see Jeff’s video blogs at jeffprobst.com.)

Okay, give us the lowdown on the helicopter ride to start the season. How did you not fall out of the back of that thing and plummet to your death? Not that we wanted that (even though it would have made for AMAZING television).

Hey, Dalton, Love the new Q&A and thanks for plugging my weekly episode vlog as well at Jeffprobst.com. Okay, let’s get to the opening shot from the helicopter. I have one safety strap that is attached around my waist under my shirt and is being held by one clip attached to the floor of the helicopter. The safety guys assure me that these straps never break and the clips never fail. Other than that there is no other back up. It is a bit of a risk but I go with the odds and the experts that I am relatively safe. Hanging out of the back end of a plane or helicopter is a rush and when the pilot banks hard to the left it is a real kick. I love it and selfishly I wish we could do it every season.

While there was obviously the puzzle part at the end, the first part of the Immunity Challenge was pure brute strength, as I know from lamely attempting it myself while I was out there. Was there a concern among you and the crew that Zapatera had an unfair advantage by having an extra man on their tribe, not to mention Julie, who is also strong as hell? If Rob the puzzle king had ended up on that tribe it could have been a flat-out massacre.

First of all, Dalton, I give you credit for always taking part in the opening challenge rehearsal when you visit location. You are able to give insight because you have actually done it. You’re right, this was an ass kicker. Yes, we were aware of uneven tribes but there just wasn’t anything to do about it. We were also reacting to the previous season where due to the theme of Old vs Young we were stuck with some “softer” challenges. We were ready to get out of the gates big with Redemption Island. I think we accomplished our goal!

This had to be the best first Tribal Council ever. What shocked you more: Rob asking for Kristina’s hidden immunity idol or Phillip’s inability to pronounce the name Francesca?

Let me start by giving my thanks to the Survivor gods for Phillip. He is one of my favorite all-time characters, even if he’s voted out next week. I love how earnest he is about his time serving as a former federal agent and how zany he can be with his logic. The trouble pronouncing Francesca was certainly humorous and we had some good laughs that night at Tribal Council. But, as always, you have to remember, it’s already been 3 days and they’re already physically exhausted and emotionally drained. As for Rob…I was initially shocked because it was so brazen, but upon reflection after Tribal I realized that Rob came to play. He is going to go big or go home or maybe both but he will not go quietly. I thought it was a tone-setting move and is an example of why I believe fans will really enjoy this season.

Finally, hit us up with a tease for next week’s episode!

Next week Phillip offers one of the most entertaining adventures when he goes crab hunting. It is both funny and touching. You will laugh and who knows, you may cry as well. Don’t miss it. Talk next week, D. Ross!

(Check out an exclusive deleted scene featuring Phillip from last night’s episode as well as my pre-game interview with Francesca below.)

Posted 17 February 2011 - 06:35 PM

Posted 18 February 2011 - 02:43 PM

JEDI

Forum Moderator

Moderator

12,896 posts

Me too, SugarB! His blog, plus all the Ponderosa and behind-the-scenes videos that are available, make the show so much more enjoyable.(Now, if only the videos at CBS.com were available to Canadians!!! Then I wouldn't have to count on people to transload them illegally just so I could watch them.)

----------------------No problemo, Pinkie!I was just so excited to read it that I had to share by posting it.

From what Jeff said in his blog, we may sometimes only be getting a VIDEO BLOG, not a written one.In that case, we'll have to have the link to the video posted here. (Unless embedding will be possible.)

Posted 24 February 2011 - 08:03 AM

FRANCESCA ARRIVES AT REDEMPTION ISLANDHere's the truth about Redemption Island. It's hard. You are alone. You have flint. You have a bit of a shelter that is full of leaks. You have a handful of rice. Let that sink in. It's not much. Never forget that in a world of "loosely scripted" reality shows, Survivor is still the real deal. Survivor will kick your ass. Redemption Island could bury you.

I do believe that for the moment Francesca really does prefer Redemption Island, but if she lasts long that will change. She will get lonely and exhausted.

BACK AT THE OMETEPE CAMPI love how confident Rob is at this point in the game. Rob only knows one way to play and that is full out, aka "all in."

Remember, back in Heroes v Villains, Rob had a great plan at Tribal Council and it would have given him control of the game. But Tyson momentarily lost his mind and blew it by voting the wrong way and Rob went home. Rob is determined to not make that mistake again. He keeps reminding everybody in his alliance  if we stick together, we'll be okay… but tonight showed once again how difficult it is to keep your alliance together.

How hard can it be to keep your alliance together? It sounds so simple until you factor in that there is only ONE winner. That means everybody in your alliance has their own motive and their own plan for getting to the end. It's incredibly complicated and that's why alliance almost always break down. It's part of the design of the game. The question is when to leave your alliance. You want to leave it before it leaves you.

As you saw from last night's episode even with an experienced player like Rob  what was true at sunrise is not always true at sunset. You have to adapt. Rob adapted and now Matt, one of his original six, is gone.

PHILIP GOES PRIMALThis is why I love this guy. He is everything and I mean everything you could ever ask for from a Survivor contestant. He is so damn sincere, so earnest. I truly can't get enough. I know a lot of you already hate him, save it for the comment section. I'm in Camp Phillip.

Philip is a real life version of "Del, the shower curtain ring guy" that John Candy played in Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

If you've seen the movie you know what I'm talking about. Del is an overweight, loud mouthed, slightly inappropriate salesman that Steve Martin meets while both are stuck trying to get home during a snow storm. The entire time you're watching the movie, you can see why Del drives Steve Martin nuts. He's friggin annoying as hell! Del even says at one point, "I know I'm a easy target… but you know what? I like me… and my friends like me."

By the end of the movie, you not only like Del, you are rooting for Steve Martin to see what you see  that Del is a really good person. He's just different, that's all.

That's how I feel about Philip. Well at least the easy target part! And yes the comparison is already being made. Philip and Coach are clearly brothers from another… …they're equally awesome.

When Philip was using his homemade spear to hunt for crab, his tribe was making fun of him. I get it. It was a funny moment, especially Matt impersonating the late, great Steve Irwin. (The scene went on much longer but had to be cut for time.) I laughed hard when I saw it the first time. But when I listened to Philips interview I found myself truly moved. I'm not kidding. I listened to the sincerity with which he talked about his patriotism and I was touched.

In Philips world, the hunting for crab was all about trying to provide for his tribe by channeling his inner primal self. His celebration when he finally snagged a crab by throwing a rock, was priceless. "Killed with a stone, baby!"

OVER AT ZAPATERARalph is another one-of-a-kind. It's not just the man sweater, it's his whole personae. Ralph and Philip and Rob and Russell  it's guys like this that have kept Survivor on the air for so long. You may love to hate them but without them Survivor would be boring.

THE OTHERSI think I said it last week, but the reason this season is going to be so stellar is that the rest of the contestants are equally great. I'm focusing a lot on Rob and Ralph and Philip right now but it's only week two! You will see as the weeks unfold, we have some great people with big opinions who all want to win this game. I am so jazzed that we are only in week two!

RALPH FINDS THE IDOLWas there a more unlikely guy in the world? He wasn't even looking for it!

Ralph: "That was as easy as wiping your hiney with toilet paper!"

It's not half as funny when I write it as it is when Ralph says it.

Ralph does bring up a good question re the idols. If the idols are so easy to find that even a self-proclaimed dumb ass (Ralphs words, not mine) can find it, can it really be that difficult? Maybe Russell isn't such an idol finding genius. Maybe we just needed a dumbass to show prove it.

Either way  Ralph has some major power. The big question is does he realize it? It's not yet clear if Ralph knows exactly how best to use the idol It could be a bit of a waste  kinda like giving a Ferrari to someone who doesn't like to drive fast. Time will tell if Ralph can handle the power of the idol or not.

IDOL PLAY IN GENERALIt's probably time for us to really switch up how we deal with idols and where we hide them. If you have an idea, please send it to me at www.jeffprobst.com under the "Ask Jeff A Question" category. Who knows you may end up having some influence on our game! No, I'm not paying for your idea. But if it's good, I'll certainly take credit for it and we might just take it and use it on the show! Welcome to Hollywood, baby!

MATT & ANDREAMatt never saw it coming. How could he? He was smitten. He was thinking about a first kiss and Rob was thinking about another blindside. Think of Rob as the Godfather. The moment he saw that relationship forming he knew it was a problem.

As he referenced during the show, Rob made an alliance in Survivor: All-Stars with Amber and they rode it to the end. He then married her. They had a baby. And then another. So Rob knows that you can fall into an alliance that will extend beyond the game and that could spell disaster for Rob.

Side bar  Natalie is a very interesting contestant to watch this season. She is so young at only 18 years old (which means she was seven years old when we started! Seven!) but she seems to have a really great head on her shoulders. That's the reason we put her on the show. She really impressed us during the casting process.

THE CHALLENGEWhen I took the immunity idol from Ralph, he said, "I'll get it back." This kind of trash talking goes on a lot at challenges, but we only include it when there is a good story that comes as a result. Once again Philip provides the story:

Philip: I will outlast ANY man over there. Jeff: What about the women? Philip: That's another day. We'll see.

I am once again reminded of what I used to say about Coach  Who writes this stuff?!

THE POOLNicaragua didn't provide a lot of water options for challenges because of the dangerous tides, so we built our own "swimming pool" which we have used for a few different challenges. The immunity challenge was a modified version of a challenge we have done a few times over the years and it works every time. It's so much fun to do this challenge as a contestant and so much fun to watch.

One thing that emerged from the challenge  Grant is one helluva athlete. Ashlee is another one. I love contestants that go all out or as I mentioned earlier "all in." I have a buddy whose nickname is "All In Jim" because he only knows one speed  all in. Contestants that go "all in" on Survivor are almost always memorable.

I'm a bit surprised that Ometepe is not doing better in challenges. They have a good group of people, but Zapatera really works well together. Very calm.

AFTER THE CHALLENGEImmediately after the challenge ended, Matt walked over and shook hands with some of the Zapatera tribes. As much as I try to prevent this  typically by yelling something very witty such as: "Hey get outta there!"  it still happens. We don't usually show it, unless… there is a story attached. This time there was… a big story.

That attempt at good sportsmanship really got to Rob. He's no dummy. Those little "friendly" moments can often be the difference when it comes to a merge or even the final tribal council. Acts of kindness are so rare that when you do one it can have a real impact. Rob knows that Matt is a good kid and seeing him playing up the other tribe  worried him. When the Godfather gets worried, somebody is gonna end up with a horse head in their bed. Russell is much the same way. They both make BIG moves with one goal  get to the end.

AFTER THE CHALLENGEYou could really feel the air begin to let out of the Ometepe tribe. Back to back losses. Not a great way to start. Rob knows his tribe is in trouble. It's one thing to be in a tight alliance and feel safe, but if you're losing immunity challenges, that safety is only temporary as you will soon run out of numbers and it will be you who is going home.It's why it's so important to win challenges. If you avoid tribal council you keep your tribe strong. When you go to tribal council, you rarely come out betber as a result. Ometepe has got to start winning or the morale will continue to drop.

THE HIDDEN IMMUNITY IDOL CLUEThis is a first. Russell is not in control. In fact, the joke is on Russell. I'm guessing that most of you love seeing Russell not in control. He has a clue to the idol but doesn't yet know that Ralph already has the idol. He's wasting his time.

For me though, the most interesting aspect of this moment was Mike's comment about Russell:Mike: "He's the most untrustworthy person in this game."

This comment came as Russell was sharing the clue with the two girls in his alliance, Stephenie and Krista. If you think about it, Russell is no less trustworthy than anyone else. He's playing Survivor. He has an alliance and he immediately shared the clue with them. From their point of view, Russell is completely trustworthy.

Mike: If we're in this together, then show me the clue."

You're not in this together Mike. You're in a different alliance. Would you show Russell the clue?

It's an interesting thing that often happens on Survivor. You justify your ethics. It's okay when YOU lie because you're playing the game. When someone ELSE lies, they're a scumbag.

If Mike thinks he can survive this game without lying to someone… he is in for a shock. Lying is okay on Survivor. It's called "outwit" and it's a huge part of the game.

I'm not saying this because I love Russell, or don't like Mike. I happen to think Mike is a great addition to this season. I'm saying it because it's fascinating what is happening on Zapatera. So much energy is focused on Russell that there is a huge blind spot on their tribe and somebody is going to notice and take advantage of it. Zapatera is winning… but they are at risk at putting the cart ahead of the horse.

THE SHOWDOWNI have been waiting for this moment. Ralph v Russell. They met in the forest. The human sweater and the angry gnome.

Ralph: Russell there wasn't no hidden clue in there was there? You didn't win it. We all won it.Russell: Calm down guys. This is how the game is played. You're either with me or against me.

Ah Russell, he hasn't changed a bit.

Russell: (to Ralph) I don't like how you're coming at me.

Ralph is really growing on me. He's not quite comfortable talking to the camera yet. You can seem him a bit uncertain whether to walk away or keep talking but I like him. He's certainly entertaining.

LUXURY ITEMS ON REDEMPTION ISLANDWe decided to give them their luxury items because quite honestly we were afraid they might lose their minds without something to help pass the time or remind them of home. Luxury items don't really make their stay any easier but emotionally I think it brings some sense of peace.

HEADING TO TRIBALI'm not going to say anything about Philip saying "gallantry."

But once again the gold star of the episode does go to… Philip. He is two for two. The explanation of his two tattoos was so good I had to watch it three times. Philip does not mess around. You can question a lot of things about Philip, but the man commits. Ink is forever. And not just one, but two tattoos. A gorilla and a lion. His explanation of their respective power and possible showdown left me a bit confused but damn I loved it. I want to put it on a t-shirt and sell it.

TRIBAL COUNCILRob played tribal about as well as it can be played. A work of art. Rob's experience is really paying off right now. He lied to Matt and Andrea, got Kristina to play the idol, kept Philip in check, dictated how Phillip should vote and got rid of Matt. Wow. That was pretty amazing.

At this point, Rob is in control of his tribe. His problem is going to be staying in control of the tribe. At some point somebody on his tribe is going to say "enough already." Andrea could be his biggest threat if she decides to go for revenge.

The rain at tribal came out of nowhere. It's going to happen a lot this season. Thankfully tribal is covered otherwise they would have been drenched. The rain was, as Matt said, literally blowing sideways. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE it when it rains. The harder the better.

MATT IS SHOCKEDYes those reactions were real. Yes, Andrea was ready to cry. Yes, Matt was completely shocked. Stunned. Think about it, you are a big competitor like Matt and you have just started the game. You're only a couple of weeks into the experience. You idolize and trust Rob, you think you're safe and wham… before you know it you're on a boat heading to Redemption Island. It was a shocking vote. Only time will tell if it was the right move. Rob either cemented himself firmly in control or just hung his own noose.